Post by rallynick on Aug 28, 2005 1:26:54 GMT
THE 2006 BRITISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
The radical new-look British Rally Championship will have two primary aims. First to provide competitors with attractive and affordable events and secondly to establish an easily understood and identifiable structure for those wishing to enjoy their sport at the top level and provide a base from which to go on to greater success on the world stage.
The introduction of a Group N 'production car' series will effectively 'cap' the costs of competing at the top level. The switch to Group N cars based on manufacturer's current road based models will enable the sport's organisers to more effectively police the series.
Another factor in the choice of Group N machinery is their relative simplicity compared to World Rally Cars. A Group N rally car can be built by an individual with a home workshop or a private team with better facilities, whereas WRC machines need highly specialised knowledge and equipment.
At one fell swoop interest will switch from 'chequebook competition' to one based more on driver and co-driver talent.
A UNIQUE CHALLENGE
Next year's British Rally Championship will be reduced to six events, but the BIG attraction will be the inclusion of Britain's World Rally Championship counter, Wales Rally GB.
The inclusion of this major event will therefore provide the ideal platform, for displaying British talent to a world wide audience - including top team manufacturers and sponsors. It will also provide rising British talent with a unique opportunity to experience rallying at a world championship level.
The other five events in the new-look British series will also pave the way forward for future hopefuls by providing a variety of experiences from gravel rallies to asphalt events across the four home countries of the UK. Each event offers a unique and different challenge and will give aspiring young rally crews the ideal training for future success while providing established rally competitors with a series of affordable and compulsive rally experiences.
The new 'super rally system' (allowing competitors who may have struck trouble on the first Leg to re-start the 2nd or 3rd Legs but with a time penalty) will be employed on selected events and the overall championship results will be based on counting the best 5 scores from the six events.
The 2006 British Rally Championship series will comprise:
May 13/14 Pirelli International Rally
July 7/8 Jim Clark Memorial Rally
August 3/5 Manx International Rally
September 1/2 Ulster International Rally
October 7 International Rally of Yorkshire
November Wales Rally GB
HIGHLIGHTING AND DEVELOPING FUTURE CHAMPIONS
An integral part of the new look Championship will be the organisers' intention to provide an arena where talent can be nurtured and developed, where drivers and co-drivers can learn their skills, augment their experience and increase their speed. A more level playing field will make it easier to progress and more affordable events will give young drivers coming in to the sport an easier ride.
The new British MSA Elite scheme will form part of this new process and many more initiatives will be developed and exploited as the new Championship evolves and moves into a higher gear over the coming years.
This new look championship represents a bold move on the part of UK Rally Ltd which is adopting new class designations in line with the 2007 FIA proposals. This will have the added advantage of presenting rally fans and spectators with a more easily recognisable rallying structure.
All cars will have to be homologated by the FIA. A list of eligible cars is attached.
The New BRC Class designations are:
R1 Rally 1 - Group N1, two wheel drive up to and including 1400cc
R2 Rally 2 -Group N2 two wheel drive above 1400cc,
up to and including 1600cc
R3 Rally 3 -Group N3 two wheel drive above 1600cc, up to and
including 2000cc, plus selected Challenge cars, Fiat Stilo, Ford Fiesta
R4 Rally 4 - Group N4 cars over 2000cc
Super 1600 Super 1600 cars and FIA homologated 1600cc Kit variant A6 cars
ACTION PACKED WEEKEND OF MOTORSPORT
UK Rally will be supporting each event in building a full weekend of motorsport for the rally fans and marshals. Joining other featured rally championships will be the increasingly popular Stars of the Future and a brand new Series called, UK Rally Masters.
THE UK RALLY MASTERS
A news series with 7 events will be aimed at this competitors who want value for money, no hassle rallying, plenty of stage miles in one day, mix of asphalt and gravel, with no recconnaisance on gravel and no rallying on a Sunday.
Benefiting from the buzz and promotional hype over a BRC weekend, this series will be for non homologated two wheel drive and four wheel drive turbocharged cars running to MSA Blue Book regulations.
Details will be announced in due course.
THE UK RALLY STARS OF THE FUTURE
Continuing on the success of 2005, the Stars of the Future series will again be profiled in 2006 for beginners and novices looking for great competition in the BRC environment.
The series next year will be aimed at 1400cc cars only. These cars do not have to be homologated, but will be restricted to drive down cost and to showcase genuine talent. The cars will run in their own rallies and ahead of the main field on selected gravel events. Again details are with the MSA and subject to approval will be announced in due course
THE 2006 BRC - IN SUMMARY
6 International rallies, each event to be FIA Observed to drive up standards
FIA Sporting Code, MSA Judicial adopting FIA Yellow Book regulations for event prescriptions
Reconnaissance on all events
FIA Homologated vehicles only, based on Gp N and Super 1600 only adopting new FIA designations, classes R1, R2, R3 & R4 formulas, as proposed by Jacques Berger (Head of FIA Technical Dept)
Best 5 events from 6 rounds count towards overall Championship
British Teams Championship - based on performance in class
Class Championships awards, Juniors (under 25), Ladies and Nations Cup
Tiered entry fees
Super Rallies on selected events allow re-entry
High Profile starts where feasibly possible
Centralised Service Areas and Rally HQs
Refuel Zones on all events
Limited number of tyres and fuel types
BOLD MOVE
The 2006 British Rally Championship represents a bold move forward, but the sport in this country needed a bold move to re-establish itself as a world wide leader and a respected national championship.
The radical new-look British Rally Championship will have two primary aims. First to provide competitors with attractive and affordable events and secondly to establish an easily understood and identifiable structure for those wishing to enjoy their sport at the top level and provide a base from which to go on to greater success on the world stage.
The introduction of a Group N 'production car' series will effectively 'cap' the costs of competing at the top level. The switch to Group N cars based on manufacturer's current road based models will enable the sport's organisers to more effectively police the series.
Another factor in the choice of Group N machinery is their relative simplicity compared to World Rally Cars. A Group N rally car can be built by an individual with a home workshop or a private team with better facilities, whereas WRC machines need highly specialised knowledge and equipment.
At one fell swoop interest will switch from 'chequebook competition' to one based more on driver and co-driver talent.
A UNIQUE CHALLENGE
Next year's British Rally Championship will be reduced to six events, but the BIG attraction will be the inclusion of Britain's World Rally Championship counter, Wales Rally GB.
The inclusion of this major event will therefore provide the ideal platform, for displaying British talent to a world wide audience - including top team manufacturers and sponsors. It will also provide rising British talent with a unique opportunity to experience rallying at a world championship level.
The other five events in the new-look British series will also pave the way forward for future hopefuls by providing a variety of experiences from gravel rallies to asphalt events across the four home countries of the UK. Each event offers a unique and different challenge and will give aspiring young rally crews the ideal training for future success while providing established rally competitors with a series of affordable and compulsive rally experiences.
The new 'super rally system' (allowing competitors who may have struck trouble on the first Leg to re-start the 2nd or 3rd Legs but with a time penalty) will be employed on selected events and the overall championship results will be based on counting the best 5 scores from the six events.
The 2006 British Rally Championship series will comprise:
May 13/14 Pirelli International Rally
July 7/8 Jim Clark Memorial Rally
August 3/5 Manx International Rally
September 1/2 Ulster International Rally
October 7 International Rally of Yorkshire
November Wales Rally GB
HIGHLIGHTING AND DEVELOPING FUTURE CHAMPIONS
An integral part of the new look Championship will be the organisers' intention to provide an arena where talent can be nurtured and developed, where drivers and co-drivers can learn their skills, augment their experience and increase their speed. A more level playing field will make it easier to progress and more affordable events will give young drivers coming in to the sport an easier ride.
The new British MSA Elite scheme will form part of this new process and many more initiatives will be developed and exploited as the new Championship evolves and moves into a higher gear over the coming years.
This new look championship represents a bold move on the part of UK Rally Ltd which is adopting new class designations in line with the 2007 FIA proposals. This will have the added advantage of presenting rally fans and spectators with a more easily recognisable rallying structure.
All cars will have to be homologated by the FIA. A list of eligible cars is attached.
The New BRC Class designations are:
R1 Rally 1 - Group N1, two wheel drive up to and including 1400cc
R2 Rally 2 -Group N2 two wheel drive above 1400cc,
up to and including 1600cc
R3 Rally 3 -Group N3 two wheel drive above 1600cc, up to and
including 2000cc, plus selected Challenge cars, Fiat Stilo, Ford Fiesta
R4 Rally 4 - Group N4 cars over 2000cc
Super 1600 Super 1600 cars and FIA homologated 1600cc Kit variant A6 cars
ACTION PACKED WEEKEND OF MOTORSPORT
UK Rally will be supporting each event in building a full weekend of motorsport for the rally fans and marshals. Joining other featured rally championships will be the increasingly popular Stars of the Future and a brand new Series called, UK Rally Masters.
THE UK RALLY MASTERS
A news series with 7 events will be aimed at this competitors who want value for money, no hassle rallying, plenty of stage miles in one day, mix of asphalt and gravel, with no recconnaisance on gravel and no rallying on a Sunday.
Benefiting from the buzz and promotional hype over a BRC weekend, this series will be for non homologated two wheel drive and four wheel drive turbocharged cars running to MSA Blue Book regulations.
Details will be announced in due course.
THE UK RALLY STARS OF THE FUTURE
Continuing on the success of 2005, the Stars of the Future series will again be profiled in 2006 for beginners and novices looking for great competition in the BRC environment.
The series next year will be aimed at 1400cc cars only. These cars do not have to be homologated, but will be restricted to drive down cost and to showcase genuine talent. The cars will run in their own rallies and ahead of the main field on selected gravel events. Again details are with the MSA and subject to approval will be announced in due course
THE 2006 BRC - IN SUMMARY
6 International rallies, each event to be FIA Observed to drive up standards
FIA Sporting Code, MSA Judicial adopting FIA Yellow Book regulations for event prescriptions
Reconnaissance on all events
FIA Homologated vehicles only, based on Gp N and Super 1600 only adopting new FIA designations, classes R1, R2, R3 & R4 formulas, as proposed by Jacques Berger (Head of FIA Technical Dept)
Best 5 events from 6 rounds count towards overall Championship
British Teams Championship - based on performance in class
Class Championships awards, Juniors (under 25), Ladies and Nations Cup
Tiered entry fees
Super Rallies on selected events allow re-entry
High Profile starts where feasibly possible
Centralised Service Areas and Rally HQs
Refuel Zones on all events
Limited number of tyres and fuel types
BOLD MOVE
The 2006 British Rally Championship represents a bold move forward, but the sport in this country needed a bold move to re-establish itself as a world wide leader and a respected national championship.